


Things That Could Have, Would Have, Should Have Been

by hrtiu



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Foxiyo - Freeform, foxiyoweek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28404375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hrtiu/pseuds/hrtiu
Summary: Works for Foxiyo Week 2020
Relationships: Riyo Chuchi/CC-1010 | Fox
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> the prompt is Routine: schedule, daily, familiar

Fox liked routine. Most people wanted at least a little bit of variety or excitement in their life, but for Fox variation meant risk, security vulnerabilities, increased patrols, that sort of thing. They were each alterations to the Coruscant Guard’s normal pattern that might, in their own special way, increase the probability of a clone trooper getting killed on his watch. And so he struggled and fought against that great beast variety, struggling each day to keep his life as boring, normal, and _safe_ as possible.

  
Every day he woke up at 0500, did an hour of PT, used the refresher, debriefed with Stone on how the night shift had gone, performed a random inspection on one of the platoons, then gave out security detail assignments. The captains generally already knew what their assignment would be, but he finalized plans and announced any last minute adjustments.

  
Then just before lunch he’d meet with Chancellor Palpatine. He’d give a brief report, accept security requests from the senators, and receive any special instructions the Chancellor might have. The Chancellor usually only had a couple of minutes to spare for the Commander, but those few minutes represented the culmination of Fox’s work over the last twenty-four hour period. If the Chancellor was unhappy about anything the Coruscant Guard was doing, everyone would suffer.

  
As soon as he escaped Palpatine, Fox would scarf down a quick lunch on the run, then make it down to the Senate just before they opened session. Fox’s presence at the Senate was partly ceremonial, but he still watched diligently for threats as the senators held forth, conscious of every potential security breach or vulnerability in the system. When the session ended he stood at attention by the doors as the senators filed out, nodding if they acknowledged him but otherwise standing stock-still.

  
He’d eat a spare dinner of rations on his walk from the Senate back to GAR headquarters, spend a few hours filling out flimsiwork—requisitions, reports, disciplinary forms, that sort of thing—then meet with Thorn and Stone to discuss the day's proceedings. Then he turned in for the night around 2400, just in time to catch a solid five hours of sleep.

  
That’s how a good day went—PT, meetings, debrief with the Chancellor, Senate, flimsiwork, more meetings, and food sometime in between. On a bad day Fox was called in for riot patrol, extra bodyguard duty, security for a big event, damage control for whatever disaster had befallen the capitol, _the subduing of a massive, city-destroying monster_ , and so on and so forth.

  
For several months now, counting from after the city-destroying monster incident, Fox had had a string of good days. PT, Senate, meetings, PT, Senate, meetings, PT, Senate, meetings. Then one day his whole rhythm was thrown out of whack.

  
It happened in an instant, as the senators were filing out of the Senate building, and it took Fox a moment to realize what was wrong. The senators were leaving with their normal amount of gossip, backhanded compliments, and scheming, and nothing seemed amiss at first glance. He looked hard at the retreating backs of a cluster of senators down the hallway and the sight of a gold-trimmed, maroon cloak lit a spark of recognition.

  
“ _Wheeler, take over this door for me, will you?_ ” Fox commed the captain on duty with him.

  
“ _Yes, sir_.”

  
Wheeler jogged over from his post just inside the building and Fox made his way down the hallway after the Senator. He wasn’t technically supposed to leave the door until all the Senators were gone, but he doubted any of them would notice the difference.

  
“Pardon me, ma’am,” he said when he caught up to the maroon cloak. The Senator turned around, her amber eyes wide with surprise.

  
“Is something wrong, Commander?” Senator Chuchi asked.

  
“Nothing’s wrong, ma’am, just wanted a quick word.”

  
“Certainly.”

  
She followed Fox away from her colleagues and into a side passage, then gazed up expectantly into Fox’s visor. Looking down into her cornflower face, the overhead light reflecting off of her golden jewelry and golden eyes, Fox forgot for a moment what he’d asked her here for.

  
“...Commander? What can I do for you?”

  
“Oh, uh…” Fox coughed awkwardly, then took off his helmet. Chancellor Palpatine didn’t like him taking it off while on duty (and he was _always_ on duty), but he’d noticed the senators seemed more at ease with a face they could look at when he met with them one-on-one.

  
Fox tucked the helmet under his arm and cleared his throat again. “Nothing serious, ma’am. Just wanted to check in with you—see if everything’s alright.”

  
One of Senator Chuchi’s delicate eyebrows arched upwards and she looked at him sideways. “I’m fine, Commander. Was there something that made you think otherwise?”

Oh. Oh. He hadn’t thought about this part—the part where he had to explain himself. “Well, er, no, ma’am. You just seemed a little out of sorts.”

“Out of sorts?” she asked, even more confused than before.

  
_Well, banthacrap. I guess I imagined it after all._ “It’s nothing, ma’am,” Fox said hastily. “I just thought you seemed a little off, and-”

  
“How did I seem off?” Senator Chuchi asked, alarmed.

  
“Well, it’s nothing serious, I, uh…”

  
The Senator continued to stare at him with keen, discerning eyes, and it became clear that Fox was going to have to tell the truth. He sighed, fighting the heat he knew must be rising to his cheeks.

  
“Every day when you leave the Senate, you smile at me. But today you didn’t, so I thought something might be wrong.”

  
“Oh…” Senator Chuchi said, her eyes falling to the floor and a dusting of lilac spreading across her cheekbones. “Well, um, I suppose I must admit you’re right. I was hoping to introduce a rather important bill today on behalf of the Pantoran Assembly, but I haven’t been able to find the support yet to get it passed. I’m afraid some of my allies are not yet willing to put themselves at risk for my sake.”

  
Oh. Well, that was nothing so disastrous then, was it? At least, from a security perspective. Still, until Senator Chuchi was back to her normal self Fox knew things wouldn’t feel quite right.

  
“Well, in my years serving at the Senate I know it’s rare for a senator as new as you to do as much as you already have,” he said.

  
Senator Chuchi’s mouth quirked upwards in a dissatisfied smile. “Perhaps. But despite my inexperience, my people still need me to perform.”

  
“I understand, ma’am. ...If you don’t mind my asking, is the bill in relation to the crime lord Jaum’s occupation of Andelm IV?”

  
“Oh! You are familiar with the conflict?” Senator Chuchi asked in surprise.

  
“I attend every Senate session, ma’am.”

  
“I see… I didn’t know if it was always you or not,” she said, biting her lip. “Your armor all looks so similar. And yes, you’re right. The bill I was hoping to pass would formally denounce Jaum’s activities in the area as well as allocate GAR resources to Andelm IV to assist in his removal.”

  
An expansive warmth filled Fox’s chest as he realized that Senator Chuchi would smile that earnest smile of hers at any one of his brothers, and not just the most senior clone in the GAR. “You should talk to the senator from Kashyyyk.”

  
“Oh?”

  
“I don’t know much but… I understand that Jaum and the Wookies have some bad blood. They might be willing to help you.”

  
Senator Chuchi brought a dusky hand to her chin, the skin between her eyebrows furrowing in thought. “Hmm… I haven’t spoken much with Senator Hakkon, but he has spoken up several times when Andelm IV has been mentioned…” She looked up, a blinding smile illuminating her face and crinkling the elegant viridescent arches on her cheeks. “That is an excellent idea, Commander Fox. I’m so glad you spoke with me.”

  
Fox inclined his head. “Happy to hear it, ma’am.”

  
She made her farewells and fairly bounded down the hallways, a renewed spring to her step and enthusiasm to her smile. Fox watched her go, leaving his helmet off longer than he should. Then he got a comm from Stone—something about patrols being shifted around for a parade—and it was back to the grind.

  
He put his helmet back on and headed back to the GAR headquarters, thoughts already racing with to-do’s and schedules and the various needs of his men. It was a grind, but it was a good grind. Everything was back as it should be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the prompt is Trust: safety, faith, protection

Nobody’s perfect. Even CC-1010, Commander Fox, highest ranking clone in the GAR, made mistakes sometimes. When pressed, there were exactly three mistakes over the course of his career that Fox could remember with perfect clarity.

* * *

“I specifically requested an escort for my trip to Bothawui, and you’re telling me no one’s available?” Senator Paulness asked, his watery eyes flashing in frustration.

_ Sithspit _ , Fox thought, looking down at his datapad. “Weren’t you sharing the transport with Senator Chuchi?”

Commander Fox stood on the landing platform between Senators Chuchi and Paulness and their respective entourages. Behind him a squad of clones stood at attention—enough clones for  _ one _ senatorial escort but definitely not two.

“Senator Chuchi? When did I ever say anything about Senator Chuchi?” Senator Paulness said, hands on hips.

“Aren’t you both going to Bothawui?”

“Yes, but to entirely different cities on entirely different diplomatic missions! Do you think this one escort can be with both of us at the same time on two different sides of the planet, Commander?”

Fox looked back down at the datapad, his mind struggling to call back to his conversation with Senator Paulness from two months ago amidst the thousands of other meetings, councils, briefings, and requests floating around in his memory. Senators Paulness and Chuchi had approached him on the same day, requesting to go to the same system, but now that he thought about it, they hadn’t said they’d be going together.

“Eh, no, sir,” Fox said, already bracing for whatever ire Senator Paulness was about to unleash on him. “My mis-”

“I’m so sorry, Zinn,” Senator Chuchi said, approaching her colleague and taking him by the arm. “ _ I  _ told Commander Fox I’d be going with you when I made the request. When I first heard about your trip I thought we might travel together, then later I changed my mind and forgot to tell Commander Fox.”

Fox stared at Senator Chuchi like she’d grown a second head, though she had no way of telling on the other side of the helmet. She was  _ lying _ . She was lying to spare  _ his  _ shiny ass.

Senator Paulness looked down at the blue arm hooked around his elbow, his eyebrows climbing up his forehead in surprise. “Oh, eh, well… It’s no problem, Senator Chuchi. An honest mistake.”

“I can get another escort together in a few hours,” Fox said, doing a few quick calculations on patrol schedules and outstanding favors on the inside of his visor. “Would that work for either of you?”

“Since it was my mistake, I’d be happy to take the later escort. Thank you for being so accommodating,” Senator Chuchi said, her composed features gracing him with an elegant smile. Fox resisted the urge to cough.

“Certainly.”

Fox got Senator Paulness sorted with his escort, then saw the transport off the landing platform and called in the squad who’d be taking Senator Chuchi. When all the logistics were finally done, he personally walked Senator Chuchi to the transport. He held a hand out to her to help her up the gangplank and she took it. 

“Thank you,” he said, just loud enough for the mic in his helmet to pick up and vocalize the message.

Senator Chuchi smiled down at him. “It was my pleasure, Commander.”

* * *

Fox’s second mistake nearly leveled the city. Fox stood on a platform overlooking the carnage the Zillo Beast had wrought, the sheer amount of work to do the only thing keeping him from boiling alive in a wash of guilt and anger. Over a hundred people, citizens and clones alike, killed by a beast that he and his men should have contained.

Chancellor Palpatine finished talking with the Jedi who’d helped subdue the beast, then joined Fox on the platform, the kindly face he always wore hardening just a fraction.

“Well, Commander. How did this happen? You told me this creature was secure.”

Fox tensed, his fingers flexing nervously on his blaster. Chancellor Palpatine represented the Republic in a literal sense, and failing him felt like failing Fox’s duty to the Republic. “We made it as secure as we could, sir. The beast was an unknown quantity.”

“There should have been contingencies. Backup plans! Ray shields on ray shields! Look at all these casualties,” Chancellor Palpatine said, his eyes misting over as they surveyed the smoldering city. 

Fox wanted to sink right into the duracrete below them and perish. “I… Sir, I… Did what I could-”

“Chancellor Palpatine, are you alright?” a soft, lilting voice said. “I heard you were trapped on an airship when the creature attacked.

Senator Riyo Chuchi joined them on the platform, her headpiece and elaborate hair dishevelled but otherwise unharmed. Chancellor Palpatine turned to her, his eyes widening and a weary smile rising to his lips.

“I am unharmed, thanks to the quick thinking of Anakin Skywalker,” he said.

“I’m so glad to hear it, Chancellor. And Commander,” she said, turning to Fox, “Please do not blame yourself for this incident. I saw that creature from the Senate building. There was no way to contain it, and it should never have been brought here in the first place.”

Chancellor Palpatine’s eyebrows rose and he leaned backwards, surprised by the Senator’s gentle, implied rebuke. And Fox… Well, Fox didn’t know how to feel. It was strange, having someone come to his defense, and this was the second time now. The deep well of guilt in his gut started to evaporate, if only a little, and his sense of personal responsibility for the carnage before him ebbed to a more manageable degree.

“Well, ahem. Thank you, Senator Chuchi, for your concern,” Chancellor Palpatine said.

“Thank you, Senator Chuchi,” Fox said.

“No,” she said, reaching her hand out towards him. “Thank  _ you _ for protecting our capital every day.”

He shook her hand, and even through his gloves he could swear he felt warmth.

* * *

The third mistake Fox made came very close to ending his life, but in other ways saved it.

He’d let the Jedi librarian—Jacosta Nu—go. She’d used her mind tricks on him and escaped. Fox wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do to apprehend someone who could warp his very thoughts, but excuses wouldn’t work on the Emperor, or on his new disciple, Darth Vader.

“The temple is sealed, Lord Vader,” Fox told the imposing man as he strode up the temple steps. “What are your orders?”

“Unless authorized by either the Emperor or me—no one enters, no one leaves.”

“Yes, sir.”

Vader swept past Fox, his long black cloak trailing behind him, and walked through the temple doors. Fox stayed behind, monitoring the comms and making sure the perimeter stayed clear. Then the shooting started.

“ _ Sir, we’ve got another Jedi! _ ” a trooper shouted frantically over the comm.

“Don’t let them escape! Apprehend them by any means necessary!” Fox said.

More shooting continued, then several screams. Fox lost one, two, three men.

“Commander Fox?” a voice asked, a voice entirely at odds with the current situation. Fox turned around and his heart rate spiked at the sight of Riyo Chuchi walking up the temple steps, ignoring the troopers waving her away.

“Ma’am, this area is not safe-”

“What’s going on, Fox? They’re saying that the Jedi have betrayed us, but that can’t be true! I can’t get a straight answer out of anyone-”

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,  _ right now _ ,” Fox said, his teeth grinding in tension. She was not supposed to be here. Fox wasn’t allowed to have opinions about his orders, but one thing he  _ did _ know was that he didn’t want Riyo Chuchi’s hands to be sullied by the kind of work he had to do now.

He signalled to Captain Dennet, and the trooper gently but firmly took Senator Chuchi by the arm and started to haul her away.

Fox checked back in on his comms, and everything was chaos.

“ _ He got Sinkeye! _ ”

“ _ Ahhh! _ ”

“ _ Wait, wait! That’s not a Jedi-!” _

Then Darth Vader himself descended from a broken window high up on the temple wall, his bulky body moving with a balletic grace. As the dark figure slowly advanced on him, it all came together in Fox’s head. The chaos from the comms, Vader’s orders, the cold anger in his voice—this was an even bigger mistake than letting the librarian go.

“Your men were shooting at me, Commander,” he said, coming to a stop right in front of Fox.

_ This will be the last mistake I ever make _ , Fox thought, his hands starting to shake in one final contradiction to the training he’d received on Kamino. Now, Fox knew with absolute certainty that clones  _ could fear _ .

“I’m sorry, sir! They thought you were the Jedi-”

“Did you not provide your troops with my description?”

“I- I didn’t expect anything like this to happen, sir. I just didn’t think-”

Darth Vader raised his hand and Fox squeezed his eyes shut, somehow knowing despite having never dealt with him before that Vader’s hand was all it would take to kill him.

“Stop!”

Fox opened his eyes and all he could see was the back of Senator Chuchi’s cloak, the crimson hiding him from the murderous man before him.

“Senator, this matter does not concern you. Leave,” Vader said, his voice deathly still.

“I know that things are different now with the Emperor, and you may be his acolyte, but the Senate still exists. Are you going to murder me, too, to get to Fox? Because that’s what it will take,” Senator Chuchi said, utterly unbowed.

Beyond Senator Chuchi, Vader stood stock still, his mechanized breath slowly puffing in and out. He examined Senator Chuchi like he might a bug beneath his boot, and Fox felt sure that his mistake would now cost two lives instead of one.

“I will be telling the Emperor about this,” Vader said, then he whisked away.

Fox inhaled, the oxygen flooding his deprived brain. He didn’t even realize the power had left his limbs until Senator Chuchi caught him, her tiny frame propping him up.

“Commander Fox, you need to get out of here.”

“...But… We need to keep the perimeter secure…”

Senator Chuchi shoved him back so he was centered on his feet again and looked him sternly in the eye. Fox wondered somewhere in the back of his mind how she managed to catch his gaze through the helmet.

“If you ever see that man again, he’ll kill you. You need to leave.”

“I can’t  _ leave _ ,” Fox protested. “I’m Commander of the Coruscant Guard.”

“We both need to leave. I don’t know if this ‘Lord Vader’ will have much mercy to spare for me, either. If I can see where the wind is blowing, the Senate may very soon become powerless in the face of this new regime.”

“I can’t-”

“Sir,” Captain Dennet interrupted. “Sir, you should go with the Senator. She’s right—Lord Vader will kill you. Either way you’re no longer with the Guard, but at least if you leave you escape with your life.”

Fox looked around, and the other clone troopers nodded solemnly. His chest tightened at their support and concern for him, at the permission they were giving him.

Senator Chuchi held out her hand to him. “Come with me, I was already preparing a transport in case of emergencies.”

Fox looked down at the hand, the pale blue laced with indigo where her skin creased. She was so small and seemingly delicate, and yet she’d caught him each time he fell.

He took her hand.


End file.
